Andy Wilson writes:

Do317.com, Rolling Stone, and Volkswagen Group of America announced today that they will give one lucky emerging Indiana band the opportunity to open for Jane’s Addiction and The Roots at The Rolling Stone hosted Volkswagen Rock and Roll Tailgate party on Sunday February 5 at The Crane Bay.

Beginning January 20^th, Indiana artists can upload one original song that best represents their music to the contest page located at Do317.com/RollingStoneContest.  Fans will then have the opportunity beginning on January 23, 2012 (8AM EST) until January 29, 2012 to listen to the submissions and vote for their favorites. The top 3 vote-getters automatically advance to the final round, with the winner to be hand-selected by Rolling Stone.

“Rolling Stone is committed to producing the best in music events and experiences. Our Rock & Roll Tailgate Party is created as an event for the fans and in support of the local Indianapolis community. This contest embraces the true spirit of rock & roll giving an Indiana band a once in a lifetime opportunity.” says Rolling Stone publisher Matt Mastrangelo

Indiana bands can enter the contest by going to do317.com/rollingstonecontest to submit their entry, music, and biography.   Entrants must be an actual band with at least two performing members.  The contest is only open to bands that reside in the state of Indiana, and all band members must be at least 21 years of age.

“We saw the Fan Tailgate Party and the Local Band Contest as a fun way to celebrate the big game with our biggest fans,” said Tim Mahoney, Chief Product and Marketing Officer, Volkswagen of America, Inc.

Do317.com has built a unique following of the city’s top tastemakers and event-goers since the November launch of their interactive event-based calendar.  The site is free for anyone to use and collectively shows the top events happening in Indianapolis every day based on the picks of its users. The site also offers a dedicated list of over 125 events taking place in Indianapolis during Super Bowl week.

Do317.com Co-Founder Josh Baker says “As tireless boosters of our local arts and music scene, we thrive on creating unique opportunities to showcase the vast amount of incredible talent we have in Indianapolis.  As the national spotlight is cast on Indianapolis, we are working hard to make sure our local music scene is well-represented.”

Ty Howell writes:

Center Stage will be offering FREE rehearsal space for any interested local musicians on Tuesdays and Wednesdays. If you are a musician whose art suffers due to limited practice space we want you to use our stage!

Please contact Ty Howell for reservations at ty.centerstage@gmail.com

Augusta Wray writes:

The Indiana Arts Commission's Individual Artist Program (IAP) grant deadline is quickly approaching.

Indiana artists have until February 2, 2012 to apply for an IAP grant in the following disciplines: crafts, design, media arts, photography, visual arts, and folk arts as related to the disciplines listed here.

Individual artists living and working in Indiana may apply for up to $2,000 from the IAP grant, which requires no matching funds. The grants are intended to assist artists with specific project-related costs that will help them further their careers, and provide public benefit through the completed project. Applicants must be 18 years-of-age, must be an Indiana resident for at least one year prior to the application, and plan to remain in the state for the full grant period. Eligible artists may not be enrolled in a degree-granting program. All projects must be completed between July 1, 2012 and June 30, 2013.

Application guidelines and the online grant application system are currently accessible on the IAC website at http://www.in.gov/arts/individualartistprogram.htm. Artists should be aware that the application for IAP grants will only be available through the online grant application system, and artists are encouraged to read through the guidelines before beginning the application process.

Applicants are encouraged to carefully read the grant guidelines. If there are additional questions, please contact Susan Britsch at sbritsch@iac.in.gov.

Muncie cerebral guerrilla hip-hop act Bedlam Brethren has released a new music video for their song "Purgatory Article", shot in East Harlem:

Not familiar with Bedlam Brethren? Just watch this handy Q&A video that the fellas were kind enough to shoot. Hey, they also have a Bandcamp page.

If you're a local artist and would like to promote your new music videos, let us know.

The deadline for content submissions for the "Life Marked" independent magazine project has been extended to January 18th, 2012.

This locally-produced zine was created with the intention of providing an open avenue for expression to feminists and other free-thinking individuals. Your help is needed to make this project successful.

Entry Requirements:

• Written work must be no longer than 3 typed pages.
• Art must be black and white printer friendly.
• Submissions must be emailed to akvanderluit@bsu.edu by January 18th.
• Please specify how you wish to be identified (anonymous or not) in the final publication.